Rubislaw Quarry was opened in 1740. It is situated at the Hill of Rubislaw in the west end of the Scottish city of Aberdeen. The quarry was sold to a businessman by the Aberdeen city council in 1778 as it doubted it would be a source of good building material. Over the next 200 years an estimated six million tonnes of granite would be excavated from the quarry, giving Aberdeen the name of 'The Granite City'. Rubislaw Quarry is the biggest man made hole in Europe. The quarry was closed in 1971.
John Smith and Archibald Simpson were architects who constructed some of Aberdeen's best known buildings from granite in the early 19th century. Waterloo Bridge in London and the terrace of the Houses of Parliament were constructed with granite from Aberdeen. Granite from the quarry was also used in the construction of the Forth Rail Bridge. Matthew Forster Heddle found the quarry a good source for the minerals tourmaline and beryl.
Today, the fine grey granite from the quarry is visible in the majority of Aberdeen's buildings, but the quarry itself has been closed down. Although the quarry is 142 m deep and has a diameter of 120 m it has been neglected and the quarry has filled up with water. It has never been marketed as a tourist attraction. The quarry is inaccessible, hidden by trees and surrounded by flats and office buildings.